Throwable-catchable tackling bag



Nov. 19, 1963 J. J. crruK THROWABLE-CATCHABLE TACKLING BAG Filed Oct. 2'7, 1961 ATTORNEY 5 ?48 0 a; T. U 0 0 0 0 4'4 0 0 14 1 f V .3 0 0 0 M r wn$ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 United States Patent "ice 3,111,317 Tl'fitGWABiE-QATtIHAl'BLE TACKLELQG BAG John J. finals, 1497 N. Sh, Avoca, la. Filed @ct. 27, 1961, er. No. 14%;569 4 Claims. (Ql. 273-55) This invention relates to football tackling bags and more particularly to a portable, seaifoldless tackling bag.

i-ieretofore, various types of scaffoldless football blocking bags have been proposed for use as false defensive men against which ofiensive football plays are rehearsed. However, such bags do not lend themselves for use as portable tackling bags due to their excessive weight. Furthermore, such bags are generally characterized by lack of rigidity and, accordingly, they tend to bend or become displaced about a vertical axis upon impact.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved portable, scaifoldless tacking bag for developing contact desire, left and right shoulder tackling, and defensive aggressiveness.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable, scafioldless tackling bag designed for use as a medicine ball in developing muscles of the abdomen, arms, legs, back, neck and shoulders.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable, scaffoldless football tackling bag constructed and arranged, whereby the weight of the bag can be readily changed to accommodate it to the age and/ or strength of the users.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable, scaifoldless football tackling bag having a reinforcing member incorporated therein, adapted to maintain the bag substantially rigid, so as to prevent it from bending or becoming displaced with respect to its ads of symmetry.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved portable, scaffoldless football tackling bag wherein the filling material thereof comprises a combination of specifically different materials of different specific gravities, distributed evenly within the bag, the heaviest material being confined to the central axial portion of the bag.

Yet a still further object of the invention is to provide improved portable, scaffoldless football tackling bag having a symmetrical shaped body portion, and top and bottom closure members, the central portion of the body of the bag being of less diameter than the end closures, and gradually tapered from the center to the top, and from the center to the bottom, whereby the filled bag is of the general shape of a hyperboloid of revolution.

With these and other objects in View, which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several ecessary elements comprising my invention, may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangements, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful application to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of scaffoldless tackling bag;

FlG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the tackling bag shown in FIG. 1;

the improved dillfi l? Fa'tented Nov. 1%, 1963 FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FlG 2;

is a sectional view of a modification of the ag; and

is :a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FlGS. 1-4, the tackling bag comprises a body portion 1, formed from heavy canvas or other suitable material, having top and bottom closure members 2 and 3, respectively, stitched or otherwise secured to the ends 2' and 3' of the body portion as at 4, the top closure member being provided with an opening 5 for the introduction of suitable filling material 5 and a reinforcing member 7, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The top closure 2 is further provided with an inner flap 8 adapted to fit over the opening 5, and with lacing 9 to close the opening over the flap. As will be seen in PEG. 2, the body portion of the bag is of gradually increasing diameter from its central or medial section ll) in the direction of the bag ends, being of greatest diameter in the vicinity of the top and bottom portions ll and 2, respectively, and of gradually decreasing diameter from said portions to the ends 2; and 3 of the bag body, so that the filled bag has the general shape of a modified hyperboloid of revolution.

The filling material 6 comprises a mixture of materials of different specific gravities distributed uniformly within the bag. The materials which have been found to be well adapted for use as a filler are cotton and felt Wastes, sawdust and foam rubber. While these materials, when mixed in proper proportions and packed in the bag, provide a certain degree of rigidity, it is desirable that the bag be sufiiciently rigid to prevent bending under impact, and in accordance with the present invention, bending of the bag under impact is prevented by means of a reinforcing member positioned Within the bag, concentric with the longitudinal axis thereof.

ln addition to the provision of reinforcing means, it is also desirable that the bag be constructed and arranged so that its Weight can be varied to accommodate it to a particular age gr u or to the strength of the user. in accordance with the present invention, Weight variation of the bag is accomplished by incorporating a predetermined quantity of a relatively heavy material in the reinforcing member. in other words, the reinforcing member performs a double function, namely, it increases the impact resistance of the bag, and it also serves as a carrier of the relatively heavy weighting material, the volume of which may be readily changed so as to vary the weight of the bag, as desired.

Referring to PEG. 2, the reinforcing member comprises a tube 13, positioned centrally of the bag concentric with the longitudinal axis thereof, the ends 15 and 16 of the tube being spaced from the ends of the bag 2 and 33, respectively. The bag is adapted to be selectively weighted by introducing a predetermined volume of sand 17 into the tube, the sand being equally distributed above and below the traverse axis of the tube, as shown. The weight variation may be accomplished in any suitable manner. For example, a plurality of tubes, each containing a different quantity of sand may be provided, or sand may be added to or removed from the tube in situ.

In the modification shown in F168. 5 and 6, the reinforcing member comprises a wooden bar 18 of rectangular cross section, having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 19 adapted to receive lead pellets 28, for varying the weight of the bag. It will thus be seen that in lieu of using sand, as described in connection with the arrangement shown in EG. 2, the weight of the bag may be varied by changing the number of lead pellets carried by the wooden bar.

instead of using sand or lead pellets, as above deo: scribed, the weight of the bag may be varied by using suitable amounts of a relatively heavy material as one of the filler components. For example, it has been found that nylon and silk Waste may be used with or substituted for the cotton Waste to vary the weight of the bags. Although the body portion 1 of the bag shown in 3, 4 and 6 is formed from a half pattern, that is to say, from two sections of canvas material, it Will be understood that it can be formed from any desired number of sections.

The improved scatfoldless football bag of the present invention is intended to be used as a moving target and, accordingly, in tackling practice, it is transferred from me player to another a certain sequence, depending upon the pattern in which the players are lined up. in one method, the tacklers line up in tandem, approximately fifteen yards apart; one of the players, designated as the starter, is positioned in line with the :acklers, and upon a given signal, moves forward in the direction of the approaching tackler, with the bag supported on his right shoulder, and drops the bag on the right shoulder of the oncoming tackle in such fashion :hat the central or medial section it) of the bag is in con- :act with the shoulder. As the bag hits his shoulder :ackler Wraps both arms around the bag and positions it so that his left hand is underneath the bag and the right hand is in back of the bag, reparatory to dropping it an the right shoulder of the next approaching tackler. This procedure is repeated and is gradually speeded up as the players become more proficient, so that the lropping action of ti bag develops into a push, shove or throw of the bag. The above described use of the mg is for ri ht shoulder tackling. The same procedure 5 followed for left shoulder tackling, except that the bag 5 carried on the left shoulder with the right hand underieath and the left hand in back of the bag.

in right shoulder tackling, at the time of impact, the :ackler should have his eyes on the target, trunk bent, Feet spaced apart with left foot trailing for a brace. in eft shoulder tackling the tacklers stance will be the same is for right shoul er tackling, except that the right foot vill be trailing for a brace.

The improved tact lng bag of the present invention levelops contact desire, right and left shoulder tackling, lefensive aggressiveness, and the muscles of the abdonen, arms, legs, back, neck and shoulders; it is ecoiomical in construction and use, since scaifolds or like upports for hanging-type tackling dummies are not reuired; it is adapted for all year use as a medicine bag n regular ymnasium classes, without helmets or shoull r pads; and the bag weight may be var'ed to suit the ige and strength of the user, from high school through :ollege, and professional football.

While 1 have shown and descri ed the preferred em- ;odiment of my invention, I Wish it to be understood that do not confine myself to the precise details of construcion herein set forth by Way of illustration, as it is aparent that many changes and variations may be made herein, by those skilled in the art, without dep rting from he spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the tppended claims.

1 claim: 1. A portable scafioldless football tackling bag corns' a symmetrical shaped'body member of circular cross-section having a central portion of less diameter than the ends of the bag and gradually tapered from said central portion in the direction of the bag ends, a closure member at each end of the bag, one of the closures having for the introduction of filling materials, means centrally positioned within the bag concentric with the longr linal axis thereof for reinforcing the bag against bending with respect to its axes of symmetry upon impact, said reinforcing means being spaced from the ends or" the bag, an opening formed in the reinforcing means, and a selected volume of a relatively heavy material positioned Within the opening, whereby the weight of the bag ay be varied.

2. A portable scatfoldless football tackling bag in accorc ance with claim 1, wherein the means for reinforcing the bag comprises a tubular member having a selected volume of sand therein equally distributed above and below the transverse axis of the bag, the ends of the tube being closed by the bag filling materials.

3. A portable scaffoldless football tackling bag in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for reinforcing the bag comprises a wooden bar having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings equally distributed above and below the transverse axis of the bag, each of a selected number of the openin s having a lead pellet positioned therein.

4. A portable scaffoldless football tackling bag comprising a symmetrical. shaped body member of circular cross-section having a medial portion of less diameter than the ends of the bag and gradually tapered from the medial portion in the direction of the bag ends, a closure member at each end of the bag, one of said closures having an opening for the introduction of filling materials, filling materials of dilferent specific gravity distributed uniformly within the bag, said filling materials comprising cotton, felt, nylon and silk wastes, sawdust and foam rubber, means centrally positioned within the bag concentric with the longitudinal axis thereof for reinforcing the bag against bending with respect to its axes of symmetry when the bag is dropped'so that the medial portion thereof contacts the shoulder of a tackler, said reinforcing means being spaced from the ends of the bag, an opening formed in the reinforcing means, and a selected volume of a relatively heavy material positioned within the opening, whereby Q the weight of the bag may bevaried:

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHE REFERENCES Gilman Gear, wublished 1958 by Marty Gilman Inc, page 2. 

1. A PORTABLE SCAFFOLDLESS FOOTBALL TACKLING BAG COMPRISING A SYMMETRICAL SHAPED BODY MEMBER OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION OF LESS DIAMETER THAN THE ENDS OF THE BAG AND GRADUALLY TAPERED FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION IN THE DIRECTION OF THE BAG ENDS, A CLOSURE MEMBER AT EACH END OF THE BAG, ONE OF THE CLOSURES HAVING AN OPENING FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF FILLING MATERIALS, MEANS CENTRALLY POSITIONED WITHIN THE BAG CONCENTRIC WITH THE LONGITUDINALLY AXIS THEREOF FOR REINFORCING THE BAG AGAINST BENDING WITH RESPECT TO ITS AXES OF SYMMETRY UPON IMPACT, SAID REINFORCING MEANS BEING SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF THE BAG, AN OPENING FORMED IN THE REINFORCING MEANS, AND A SELECTED VOLUME OF A RELATIVELY HEAVY MATERIAL POSITIONED WITHIN THE OPENING, WHEREBY THE WEIGHT OF THE BAG MAY BE VARIED. 